Target set



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R O WESLEY El AL TARGET SET Flled July 28, 1949 Oct. 28, 1952 Patented Oct. 28, 1952 TARGET SET Robert O. Wesley and Carl W. Sundberg, Plymouth, Mich., assignors to Daisy Manufacturing Company, Plymouth, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application 111 128, 1949, Serial No. 107,347

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to target devices and more particularly to an attractive target set which provides a support for a target pistol, provides targets at which projectiles may be shot, and provides a trap for catching and retaining a substantial portion of the projectiles which have been shot at the-targets.

It is an object of this invention to provide in a target set of the aforementioned type, an attractive housing which is shaped and constructed in such a manner as to be capable of supporting a target pistol.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a housing of the aforementioned type having an elongated opening in the front wall thereof behind which a plurality of targets are rotatably supported, so that they may be shot at by projectiles, and the projectiles retained in the housing.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide targets of the aforementioned type which are substantially symmetrical about a horizontal axis and which are disposed behind the housing opening so as to provide in effect an attractive grillwork. in said housing.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a plurality of targets of the aforementioned type, which are rotatably supported :in the housing behind the housing opening, in such .a. manner that each target isindependently rotatable when hit by aprojectile from a target gun.

'It is a still further object of this invention to provide a housing of the aforementioned type which is so shaped and constructed as to retain within the housing a majority cfthe projectiles which are shot at and hit the targets.

It is a still further object lOf this invention to provide .a housing of the aforementioned type having leg members connected therewith which are hollow and communicate with the interior of said housing adjacent the bottom thereof, and are adapted to :receive and support containers in which projectiles are packed and sold.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a housing of the aforementioned type in which the projectiles, which are retained in said housing, may be removed therefrom throu h said hollow legs, or may be collected in the projectile containers, which are inserted in said hollow legs and communicate with the interior of said housing.

. 2 the projectiles which are shot at the targets, and which serves as a support for a target gun when the latter is not in'use.

It is a still further object of thisinvention to provide a relatively inexpensive, attractive and durable target set of the aforementioned type.

These and other objects of this "invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the target set of this. invention, supporting a target pistol which is illustrated in dot and dash lines;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken along the line 2-2 7 thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken along the line 3- 3'thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken along the line 4-4 thereof.

Referring now to the drawingit'will be seen that the target set of this invention includes a housing 5, which may be made of any suitable material, but is preferably made from suitable plastic material, or the like. The housing 55 may be formed in any suitable manner but is shown as being molded in two parts or sections 9 and I0, which are joined together along parting line 1. The housing section 9 is of an arcuate shape and forms top, back and bottom wall portions, as well as opposite end wall portions Hand 13. The end wall portion ll is, as can be seen in Fig. 2, of an arcuate or curved shapawhile the end wall portion l 3 has a substantially flat outer face which extends angularly outwardly and downwardly from the top of the housing section 9. The housing section II! forms the front por-- tion of the housing and is, as previously mentioned, joined with the section 9, along the parting line .I. The front wall portion of the section H) has an elongated opening 11 therein, which is defined by a peripheral inwardly projecting gated opening 21, so that the containers 25, which are cylindrical in shape and are normally used for packing and shipping of small projectiles, such as .BBs, can be inserted into the legs and will have one end disposed in the openings 27, and therefore within the housing 5, at the bottom thereof. The containers 25 are of the conventional type which have a removable cap on one end thereof and they may be inserted into the legs 21 so that the closed end thereof projects into the housing interior or so that the open end thereof projects into the housing interior. In displaying the target set, a merchant may insert the containers 25, filled with projectiles, into the legs, so that the closed ends are disposed within the housing, but a user of the set may insert the containers into the legs so that the open ends of the containers project into the interior of the housing, whereby to permit the containers to be used for collecting projectiles which have been shot at the target set, in a manner which will be hereinafter described. That is, the hollow legs 2! may serve as storage chambers for containers filled with projectiles, or as supports for containers which are to catch and collect projectiles which have been shot at the target set.

The top wall portion of the housing is provided with an elongated slot 29 which extends longitudinally from a point intermediate the ends of the top portion outwardly to and downwardly into a part of the end wall portion l3. The slot 29 permits the housing 5 to support a target pistol 30, of the type illustrated in Fig. 1, which comprises a barrel housing portion 3|, a trigger guard portion 33, and a hand grip portion 35. It will be noted that the hand grip portion 35 extends angularly downwardly, with respect to the barrel housing portion 3|, at substantially the same angle as the angle between the top and end portions of the housing 5. The pistol is supported in the housing by inserting the trigger guard portion 33 into the housing slot 29 so that the bottom of the trigger guard rests on the wall portion defining the bottom of slot 29, the barrel housing 3| rests upon the top surface of the housing 5, and the pistol hand grip extends adjacent to and alongside of the housing end portion I3. The target pistol is in this manner removably supported by the housing 5 and blends in with the housing 5 to provide a neat and attractive arrangement when the pistol is supported by the housing. It will, of course, be appreciated that for different types and shapes of pistols the shape of the housing may vary, par- 1 ticularly the angle of inclination of the housing end portion |3 relative to the housing top portion may vary in accordance with the shape and type of target pistol used.

A plurality of target elements 31 are rotatably supported in the housing 5 behind the front wall opening IT. The target elements 31 are shown as being figures and shapes which are substantially symmetrical about a horizontal axis, and each element is formed at its center with a hollow cylindrical portion 39, through which a wire or rod 4| is inserted. The wire or rod 4| rotatably supports the target elements in an end to end relationship so as to permit independent rotation of each of the elements when they are hit by a projectile shot from a target gun. The opposite ends of the rod 4| are connected to the opposite end wall portions and I3 of the housing 5, in any suitable manner, so as to su port the target elements as described.

It should at this time be noted that the posi tion of the rod 4| is at substantially the vertical midline of the housing opening |1 so that the target elements, which may be of any suitable shape or type, form in effect ornamental grillwork in the housing behind the opening. The target elements may be made of any suitable material, but preferably are made of a plastic material of a different color than the color of the housing, so as to contrast therewith and provide an attractive set, as well as a set in which the targets may be readily distinguished from the housing.

As has been previously pointed out, the housing section 3 forms top, bottom and back wall housing portions of an arcuate shape, which provide a concave surface for the projectiles to engage after they have hit the target elements 31. This concave surface will cause the projectiles to be deflected either upwardly or downwardly in the housing and the projectiles will, in general, be prevented from escaping from the housing, through opening IT, by the inwardly projecting peripheral flange l9 around the opening IT. In this way, most of the projectiles, which hit the target elements 31, will be retained within the housing and will not be deflected therefrom so as to become lost or cause the area adjacent to the target set to become cluttered up with projectiles. The projectiles will, therefore, drop to the bottom of the housing, where they will fall or roll into the openings 21 and thence either into the open end of the containers 25 or up against the closed end of the containers 25, for easy removal from the housing, either through the open back end of the legs 2|, or in the containers when they are withdrawn from the legs.

It will thus be seen that the novel device of this invention provides an exceptionally attractive target set and one which has considerable utility, in that it may act as a support for the target pistol, a support for containers of projectiles, a trap for the projectiles, and as a target at which the projectiles may be shot. At the same time, the set of this invention is exceptionally durable in construction and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

What is claimed is:

1. A target set including a hollow housing having concave top, back and bottom portions, a front wall having an opening therein, means connected with said housing and providing hollow members for supporting said housing above a supporting surface, said members having an opening therein communicating with the bottom of said housing and an opening disposed exteriorly of said housing communicating with the hollow interior thereof, a target in said housing behind said front wall opening at which projectiles may be shot, means mounting said target in said housing, and means in said housing for aiding in retaining in said housing projectiles which hit said target.

2. A target device adapted to support targets and to removably support a target pistol of the type having a barrel housing portion, a trigger guard portion and a, hand grip portion extending angularly downward with respect to said barrel housing portion, said target device comprising a hollow housing having a top wall portion and an end wall portion extending angularly downwardly from said top wall portion at substantially the same angle that said pistol hand grip portion extends with respect to the pistol barrel housing portion, said target housing having slot means in said top and end wall portions adapted to receive said pistol trigger guard portion while said -pistol barrel housing portion rests upon said target device top wall portion and said pistol hand grip portion is disposed adjacent to said angularly disposed housing end Wall portion.

3. A target set including a hollow, box-like housing having an elongated opening in the front wall thereof, means connected with the bottom of said housing and providing tubular legs for supporting said housing above a. supporting surface, said legs being hollow and communicating with the interior of said housing, containers disposed in said tubular legs and having one end thereof projecting into the interior of said housing, target means mounted in said housing behind the elongated opening therein at which projectiles may be shot.

4. A target set including a hollow box-like housing having an elongated opening in the front wall thereof, means connected with the bottom of said housing and providing tubular members for supporting said housing above a supporting surface, said tubular members and the bottom of said housing having openings therein communicating the interior of said tubular members with the interior of said housing, containers slidably inserted in said tubular members and having one end thereof projecting into the interior of said housing, target means mounted in said housing behind the front wall elongated opening at which projectiles may be shot, means in said housing for aiding in retaining therein projectiles which hit said target means, and causing said projectiles to drop into or adjacent to said containers.

ROBERT O. WESLEY.

CARL W. SUNDBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 148,248 Schneeloch Mar. 3, 1874 157,335 Lyon Dec. 1, 1874 235,993 Christie Dec. 28, 1880 385,546 Decumbus July 3, 1888 694,581 Reichlin Mar. 4, 1902 1,010,514 Mount Dec. 5, 1911 1,348,540 Briggs Aug. 3, 1920 1,844,581 Koehler Feb. 9, 1932 1,948,995 Regenold Feb. 27, 1934 2,085,933 Vaughan July 6, 1937- 

